Garment hanger



Aug. 8, 1950 w. E. SHANE 2,517,304

GARMENT HANGER Fil ed June 30, 1945 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 11v VEN TOR.

w. E. SHANE GARMENT HANGER Aug. 8, 1950 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed June 30, 1945 INVENTUR.

BY WZ 9' Patented Aug. 8, 1950 UNITED J STATES PATENT, OFFICE GARMENT HANGER William E. Shane, Grosse Pointe, Mich. Application June so, 1945, Serial No. 602,575

'7 Claims.

This invention relates broadly to garment hangers and, more particularly, to hangers of the type wherein the garment is held by a pair of clips.

It has long been the practice to provide garment hangers with a pair of spaced, spring-tensioned clips which grip the edge of the garment and hold it securely in place. These hangers are superior to the usual wire or wooden hangers where the garment is merely folded over a rod or bar, but they have the disadvantage that it is difficult to properly position the garment in the clips. It is necessary that both clips be opened simultaneously to permit proper positioning of the garment which must be hung evenly to avoid wrinkling. Since the clips are mounted far apart to give proper support to the garment, it is necessary that both hands be used to manipulate the clips. It can readily be appreciated that it is difiicult and awkward for a person using the hanger to hold the clips open with both hands and at the same time properly place the garment in the clips.

According to the instant invention, each of the clips is provided with an operating arm and the arms are uniquely arranged and correlated so that they can be grasped and manipulated with one hand. Thus, the garment may be supported by one hand of the user, and the hanger supported by the other hand and both clips operated, either singly or simultaneously, depending upon the design, by such other hand while supporting the hanger.

In the drawings forming a part of this specification, and wherein like numerals are employed to designate like parts throughout the same,

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a garment hanger embodying the invention,

Fig. 2 is a bottom plan view of the same,

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of a modified form of the invention,

Fig. 4 is an enlarged, vertical, sectional View, taken on the line 4-4 of Fig. 3,

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary, transverse, sectional view, taken on the line 5--5 of Fig. 4, and

Fig. 6 is a perspective view of still another modification of the invention.

In its broader aspects, the invention comprises a pair of garment holding clip held in fixed, spaced relation. Each clip has a pair of co-acting jaws provided with operating arms. The operating arms of the respective clips extend toward the middle of the hanger and terminate in proximity to each other so that the hanger may be held byonehandof the userand'the clips operated by the same to open the jaws thereof. Springs associated with the clips are tensioned by manipulation of the arms. When the garment has been positioned between the open jaws, release of the operating arms permits the springs to move the jaws into clamping engagement with the garment.

Referring now to the drawings and particularly to Figs. 1 and 2 which show a preferred embodiment of the invention, the letters A and B designate garment holding clips. Each clip includes a pair or" co-acting jaws i0 and H formed with laterally extending operating arms I2 and I3. The jaws l0 and II extend substantially below the operating arms l2 and 13 so that they are in a position to receive the garment when the arms are being held by the user. The arms l2 of the clips are integrally connected at their ends, and the arms I3 are held in divergent relation therewith by the springs l4. One end of each spring M is attached to an operating arm l2 and the other end is attached to an operating arm l3. The spring ends may be attached in any suitable manner, but are here shown provided with angularly bent portions I5 and I 6 which are embedded in the arms. The axes of springs 14 extend transversely of the operating arms I2 and I3 so that the springs form pivots about which the arms can be moved to open the jaws Ill and II. U-shaped clasps l7 bridging the lower edges of the operating arms and extending upwardly therethrough prevent the arms from twisting and the Jaws from spreading when a garment is held therebetween.

A hook I8 is attached at substantially the middle of the integrally connected arms 12.

Another feature of the invention resides in the manner in which the shank I9 of the hook is formed to provide a hand support to prevent the hanger from twisting or turning in the hand when it is held by the hook. The shank is reversely bent or looped several times and all of the loops are in the same plane to provide a relatively broad flat grip for the hand which prevents the hanger from twisting or turning therein. i

To operate the device, it is merely necessary for the user to grasp both of the operating arms IS with one hand and exert pressure to move them either singly or simultaneously in the direction of the arrows in Fig. 1. This operation causes the operating arms to pivot on and tension springs M. The garment is then positioned between the jaws H1 and II with the other hand; operating arms 13 are released; and springs l4 automatically close the jaws on the garment. The above operation can perhaps be performed most easily by first securing the garment in one of the clips and then opening the jaws of the other clip and stretching the garment tautly therebetween. When the latter clip is closed the garment will be securely held in the hanger, and the entire operation can be performed without shifting the hand holding the hanger.

Attention is now directed to Figs. 3 to 5 of the drawings, which show a modified form of the invention. In this form of the invention the operating arms l2 and it of the respective clips A and B are disposed in slightly spaced, substantially end-to-end relation. Attached to the operating arms [2 and I3 of each clip at substantially their middle are hinge sections 28 and El, respectively. Each of the hinge sections com prises an essentially square metallic plate 22 which lies fiat against the inner surface of its respective operating arm. Formed on the upper and lower edges of the plates are spaced tabs 23 and 24 which are bent over the edges of the arm to securely hold the plate in place, and between the tabs 23 and 24 are reversely bent tabs 25. The latter tabs of co-operating hinge sections overlap between the operating arms and are connected by a pivot pin or pintle 2t. Torsion springs M are mounted between the hinge sections 20 and 2| around pivot pins 26 and are at tached at their ends to the operating arms l2 and I3. Both clips A and B are carried by a yoke 21. The end portions of the yoke are positioned between springs 14 and hinge sections ill. The ends of the yoke 21 project beyond their respective springs I l and are slit longitudinally to provide end tabs 28 and 29. The tabs are bent in opposite directions to form stops to i'imit swinging of the clips A and B about the axes of the pins 26 and to maintain them generally centrally of the yoke 27. As shown in Fig. 5, the portions of the yoke which embrace the springs i i are arcuately bent, as at 30, to accommodate the springs, maintain the yoke substantially midway between the operating arms and prevent the latter from rotating or turning about the springs.

A hook i8, having a shank I9 fashioned in the manner described with reference to the first form of the invention, is attached to yoke 2i at substantially its middle.

In operation, the person using the hanger grasps the adjacent ends of the four operating arms l2 and I3 with one hand and manipulates them either singly or simultaneously to open the co-acting jaws Ill and II. This leaves the other hand of the user free to properly position the garment between the open jaws as hereinab-ove described.

In the modification shown in Fig. 6, the operating arms l2 and I3 of the respective clips are arranged in end-to-end relation and the ends of adjacent operating arms are formed with a plurality of projecting, interfitting fingers 3|. The arms I3 are held by a U-shaped hinge 32, the spaced arms 33 and 34 of the hinge extending upwardly through the operating arms a substantial distance behind the fingers 3!. The hinge 32 is relatively long nd the arms 33 and 34 serve as pivots which hold the fingers M in interfitting relation, but permit either individual or simultaneous manipulation of the operating arms [3. The interfitting fingers on operating arms l2 are held by an extension 35 on the shank of hook IS. The extension 35 passes through registered openings in the fingers and is held securely by the flattened end 36.

The latter form of the invention operates in the same manner as the forms hereinabove described. The four operating arms i2 and I3 can be manipulated with one hand to open clips A and B. This leaves the other hand free to position the garment between the open jaws of the clips. It will be appreciated that if the hanger is held with operating arms 12 against the palm of the hand and with the fingers of the same hand against the operating arms IS, the latter arms can be easily manipulated, either singly or collectively, without shifting the hand On the hanger.

It is to be understood that the forms of the invention herein shown and described are to be taken as preferred examples of the same and that various changes in the size, shape, and arrangement of parts may be resorted t without departing from the spirit of the invention or the scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

l. A garment hanger comprising a pair of spaced clips each having a pair of co-acting jaws and jaw operating arms, said jaws projecting laterally from the plane of the arms and in the same direction so that a garment can be inserted in the jaws of each pair and stretched tautly between said pairs of jaws without interference from the arms, the operating arms of the respective clips arranged in end-to-end relation; a spring positioned between and connected to the arms of each clip and forming a pivot about which the arms at the pivot point operate to actuate said jaws; clasp means rigidly connecting each pair of arms to prevent twisting of said arms about their axes and spreading of the jaws; a rigid connection between one pair of ad acent arms; the other arms of said clips arranged with respect to each other so that a person using the hanger can grasp them simultaneously with one hand.

2. A garment hanger comprising two pairs of normally horizontal operating handles constructed and arranged so that they can be grasped and manipulated simultaneously with one hand, and two pairs of jaws depending from the handles at opposite sides of the hanger, the two jaws in each pair being coactive to grip a garment therebetween and all of said jaws adapted to be opened and closed by manipulation of the handles, all of said jaws projecting downwardly from the handles a suificient distance so that a garment can be gripped by and stretched tautly between the two pairs of gripping jaws without interference from the arms; resilient means holding said jaws normally closed; and means holding said two pairs of operating arms and the jaws carried thereby in fixed spaced relation.

3. A garment hanger comprising a pair of spaced clips each having a pair of co-acting jaws and jaw operating arms, said jaws projecting laterally from the plane of the arms and in the same direction so that a garment can be inserted in the jaws of each pair and stretched tautly between said pairs of jaws without interference from the arms, the operating arms of the respective clips arranged in end-to-end relation; a spring positioned between and connected to the arms of each clip and forming a pivot about which the arms operate to actuate said jaws; a connection between one pair of adjacent arms; the other arms of said clips arrangedwith respect to each other so that a person using the hanger can grasp them simultaneously with one hand.

4. In a garment hanger, a pair of individually operable garment fastening devices disposed at opposite ends of the hanger; and means holding said devices in fixed relation with each other, each of said fastening devices comprising a pair of horizontally disposed, manually operable handles, coactive jaws carried :by and depending from said handles, and spring means normally holding the jaws together and the handles in spacedapart divergent relation, said fastening devices arranged with the handles extending inwardly from the ends of the hanger and grouped together so that they can all be grasped simultaneously and selectively manipulated with one hand, said devices being individually operable so that a garment can be fastened in one of said devices and then fastened in the other of said devices without being released from the said first device.

5. In a garment hanger, a pair of individually operable garment fastening devices disposed at opposite ends of the hanger, each of said fastening devices comprising a pair of horizontally disposed, manually operable handles, coactive jaws carried by and depending from said handles, and spring means normally holding the jaws together and the handles in spaced-apart divergent relation, said fastening devices arranged with the handles extending inwardly from the ends of the hanger and an arm of one device being integrally fastened to the corresponding arm of the other device, the other handles of said devices being spaced apart so as to be individually operable but disposed sufliciently close together so that they can be grasped simultaneously in one handle. I

6. In a garment hanger, a pair of individually operable garment fastening devices, each device comprising a pair of co-active jaws and manually operable handles carrying said jaws, a yoke disposed between the handle portions of said fastening devices, a hinge assembly at each end of the yoke, each hinge assembly having pivoted hinged sections fastened to respective arms of the fastening devices with which such assembly is associated, and spring means associated with said hinge assemblies normally holding the jaws of each fastening device together and the handles thereof in spaced-apart divergent relation.

7. In a garment hanger, a pair of garment fastening devices disposed at opposite ends of the hanger, each of said fastening devices comprising a pair of horizontally disposed, manually operable handles, coactive jaws carried by and depending from said handles, and spring means normally holding the jaws together and the handles in spaced-apart divergent relation, said fastening devices arranged with the handles extending inwardly from the ends of the hanger and grouped together so that they can all be grasped simultaneously and selectively manipulated with one hand, and hinge means joining corresponding arms of said fastening devices together.

WILLIAM E. SHANE.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 496,738 Jourdan -u May 2, 1893 552,111 Frye Dec. 131, 1895 667,941 Hawkins Feb. 12, 1901 894,908 Schoning Aug. 4, 1908 970,867 Wiley et al Sept. 20, 1908 2,408,145 Johnson Sept. 24, 1946 Certificate of Correction Patent No. 2,517,804 August 8, 1950 WILLIAM E. SHANE It is hereby certified that error appears in the printed specification of the above numbered patent requiring correction as follows:

Column 4, line 35, strike out the words at the pivot point and insert the same after arms in line 37; t

and that the said Letters Patent should be read as corrected above, so that the same may conform to the record of the case in the Patent Office.

Signed and sealed this 14th day of November, A. D. 1950.

THOMAS F. MURPHY,

Assistant Gammz'ssz'oner of Patents. 

